Richly Deserved Punishment
(E. D. Coons with Comments from H. I. Coons
AKA Grandpa and Grandma)
[Thusly titled with some feeling on the part of the males in the clan that certain siblings, notably the female kind, seemed to frequently get off a little too easily...]
Occational sibling
squabbling was a fairly normal occurance by the time we were in Saratoga.
Everyone had their sensitivities and no one was above teasing. I
tried to instill the rule that even if deserved, young men did not hit
young women. One day Sandy committed and got caught in some unremembered
but serious transgression, and I was about
to administer a couple of the swats she richly deserved when she spoke
up with "You can't hit me, I'm a girl!"
That stopped me short and I think she thought she had found a wonderful loophole and was off scot-free. I weighed whacking her anyway, then told her, "You are right. I should not spank you. Go see your Mother and tell her what you did and why you haven't been spanked." I don't remember just what happened but it was enough that she never used that defense again--but now that I think of it I don't remember that she needed a spanking again either. [Editor's note: Yeah, right. See what I mean???!!!]
Grandma's Note:
Sandy came in and told me dad said I had to give her a spanking.
I was surprised to say the least and in answer to my question, she said
she didn't know why. [Ed's note: What a weasel!]
She got a few half hearted swats -- it's tough to spank a child unless
you are angry! And it's dangerous for the chile if you are angry--
P.P.S I have both
spanked and not spanked for childish transgressions and in retrospect it
isn't necessary. I don't believe in it. Apologies to those
who got spanked! [Thanks Mom, for the tip--We
love you!]